Who could pay? Another look at tax bills approved by lawmakers

BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers in the state House and Senate have supported varying measures to change Louisiana's tax laws. Several have made it to final passage in a special legislative session that must end Wednesday. But the Legislature remains short of enough revenue to rebalance the budget without steep cuts.

Here's a look of what some of the proposals would do and where they stand:

SALES TAX HIKE (House Bill 62)

Increase Louisiana's 4-cent sales tax by another penny on every dollar spent, starting April 1, without many of the exemptions allowed on the other four pennies of the tax.

Revenue raised: $215 million for this year's budget and $883 million annually.

Status: House passed with Oct. 1, 2017, expiration date. Senate passed with April 1, 2021, expiration date. Final version must be reconciled, with discussions centered on possible higher tax increase.

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CIGARETTE TAXES (House Bills 14)

Boost the cigarette tax from 86 cents per pack to $1.08, starting April 1.

Revenue raised: $11 million for this year's budget and $46 million annually.

Status: Passed, sent to the governor.

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AIRBNB TAX (House Bill 59)

Charge a state sales tax on hotel rooms booked through short-term rental sites like Airbnb.

Revenue raised: Uncertain.

Status: Passed, sent to the governor.

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CAR RENTAL TAX (House Bill 39)

Reinstate a 2.5 percent state car rental tax that expired four years ago, starting April 1.

Revenue raised: $800,000 for this year's budget and $5 million for the state annually.

Status: Passed, sent to the governor.

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PHONE TAX (House Bill 72)

Renew the state telecommunications tax that expires April 1.

Revenue raised: $900,000 for this year's budget and $3.4 million annually.

Status: Passed, sent to the governor.

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STADIUM TAX (Senate Bill 22)

Allow sales taxes to be charged at certain events at Louisiana domed stadiums and baseball facilities starting April 1, like music concerts, not for athletic events.

Revenue raised: Uncertain, with some money earmarked for the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts, the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts and other items.

Status: Both the House and Senate have passed the bill. Final version must be reconciled.

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ALCOHOL TAXES (House Bill 27)

Increase the rates charged on liquor, wine and beer, starting April 1.

Revenue raised: $4.7 million for this year's budget and $19.2 million annually.

Status: Both the House and Senate have passed the bill. Final version must be reconciled.

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ONLINE SALES TAX (House Bill 30)

Provide a method for collecting state sales tax from online retailers.